Integrated circuit (xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d) cards are becoming increasingly used for many different purposes in the world today. An IC card (also called a smart card) typically is the size of a conventional credit card which contains a computer chip including a mircroprocessor, read-only-memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only-memory (EEPROM), an Input/Output (I/O) mechanism and other circuitry to support the microprocessor in its operations. An IC card may contain a single application or may contain multiple independent applications in its memory. MULTOS(trademark) is a multiple application operating system which runs on IC cards, among other platforms, and allows multiple applications to be executed on the card itself. This allows a card user to run many programs stored in the card (for example, credit/debit, electronic money/purse and/or loyalty applications) irrespective of the type of terminal (i.e., ATM, telephone and/or POS) in which the card is inserted for use.
A conventional single application IC card, such as a telephone card or an electronic cash card, is loaded with a single application at its personalization stage. That application, however, cannot be modified or changed after the card is issued even if the modification is desired by the card user or card issuer. Moreover, if a card user wanted a variety of application functions to be performed by IC cards issued to him or her, such as both an electronic purse and a credit/debit function, the card user would be required to carry multiple physical cards on his or her person, which would be quite cumbersome and inconvenient. If an application developer or card user desired two different applications to interact or exchange data with each other, such as a purse application interacting with a frequent flyer loyalty application, the card user would be forced to swap multiple cards in and out of the card-receiving terminal, making the transaction difficult, lengthy and inconvenient.
Therefore, it is beneficial to store multiple applications on the same IC card. For example, a card user may have both a purse application and a credit/debit application on the same card so that the user could select which type of payment (by electronic cash or credit card) to use to make a purchase. Multiple applications could be provided to an IC card if sufficient memory exists and an operating system capable of supporting multiple applications is present on the card. Although multiple applications could be pre-selected and placed in the memory of the card during its production stage, it would also be beneficial to have the ability to load and delete applications for the card post-production as needed.
The increased flexibility and power of storing multiple applications on a single card create new challenges to be overcome concerning the integrity and security of the information (including application code and associated data) exchanged between the individual card and the application provider as well as within the entire system when loading and deleting applications. It would be beneficial to have the capability in the IC card system to exchange data among cards, card issuers, system operators and application providers securely and to load and delete applications securely at any time from either a terminal or remotely over a telephone line, internet or intranet connection or other data conduit. Because these data transmission lines are not typically secure lines, a number of security and entity-authentication techniques must be implemented to make sure that applications being sent over the transmission lines are only loaded on the intended cards.
As mentioned, it is importantxe2x80x94particularly where there is a continuing wide availability of new applications to the cardholderxe2x80x94that the system has the capability of adding applications onto the IC card subsequent to issuance. This is necessary to protect the longevity of the IC cards; otherwise, once an application becomes outdated, the card would be useless. In this regard, to protect against the improper or undesired loading of applications onto IC cards, it would be beneficial for the IC card system to have the capability of controlling the loading process and restricting, when necessary or desirable, the use of certain applications to a limited group or number of cards such that the applications are xe2x80x9cselectively availablexe2x80x9d to the IC-cards in the system. This xe2x80x9cselective capabilityxe2x80x9d would allow the loading and deleting of applications at, for example, a desired point in time in the card""s life cycle. It would also allow the loading of an application only to those cards chosen to receive the selected application.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide these important features and specifically a secure IC-card system that allows for selective availability of smart card applications which may be loaded onto IC cards.
These and other objectives are achieved by the present invention which provides an IC card system comprising at least one IC card and an application to be loaded onto the card wherein the IC card contains card personalization data and the application is assigned application permissions data designating which IC card or group of IC cards upon which the application may be loaded. The system checks to determine whether the card""s personalization data falls within the permissible set indicated by the application""s permissions data. If it does, the application may be loaded onto the card.
In a preferred embodiment, the card personalization data is transferred onto the card by the personalization bureau after the card is manufactured. The data preferably includes data representing the card number, the issuer, product class (i.e., such as gold or platinum cards), and the date on which the card was personalized. The card further preferably contains enablement data indicating whether or not the card has been enabled with personalized data.
In a further preferred embodiment, the IC card secure system checks the enablement data prior to loading an application to determine whether or not the card has been enabled. Preferably, if the card has been enabled, the system checks if the card number, the issuer, the product class and/or the date on which the card was personalized are within the acceptable set indicated by the application""s permissions data. If so, the application may be loaded onto the IC card.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the application""s permissions data may contain data representative of a blanket permission such that all cards would pass for application loading.